1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a portable terminal. More particularly, the present invention relates to a rotary-type hinge apparatus for a portable terminal, which provides convenience to a user when watch moving pictures for a long time.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a “portable terminal” is a term that refers to an electronic apparatus which provides mobile communication to users. Recently, portable terminals are not only used as a simple mobile communication apparatus, but are also used as a complex apparatus including a multimedia apparatus for playing a music file and a moving picture file and a banking service apparatus for providing retail payment and mobile banking.
The portable terminals can be classified as bar-type terminals, flip-type terminals, and folder-type terminals according to their appearance. Recently emerging sliding-type terminals, together with the folder-type terminals, are mainstream in the portable terminal market.
The bar-type terminal has a single housing in which data input/output means, a transmitting unit (or mouthpiece), and a receiving unit (or earpiece) are mounted. The bar-type terminal has a simple structure because all the components for a mobile communication function are installed in the single housing. However, the bar-type terminal has a limitation on its miniaturization because a sufficient distance has to be secured between the transmitting unit and the receiving unit.
In the flip-type terminal, a flip cover is rotatably mounted in a bar-shaped terminal to prevent malfunctioning by closing an input device like a keypad in a call standby mode. However, like the bar-type terminal, the flip-type terminal also has a limitation on its miniaturization because a sufficient distance has to be secured between a transmitting unit and a receiving unit.
In the folder-type terminal, a pair of housings are foldably coupled to each other. An input device and an output device are separately disposed in the housings, thereby contributing to the miniaturization of the terminal and making it easy to secure a distance between a transmitting unit and a receiving unit. For these reasons, the folder-type terminal has become mainstream in the portable terminal market.
The sliding-type terminal has a pair of housings that are slidably coupled to each other. An input device and an output device are separately disposed in the housings and a keypad as the input device is opened or closed by sliding of the housings, thereby preventing malfunction of the input device, facilitating the use of the terminal, and contributing to miniaturization of the terminal. For these reasons, the sliding-type terminal also has a large share of the folder-type terminal market.
Recently, terminals of various shapes have emerged to satisfy users' various tastes.
Moreover, with efforts to commercialize Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) and the portable Internet, the inconveniences of conventional portable terminals are on the rise.
For example, although the folder-type portable terminal is easy to miniaturize and carry and is convenient for voice communication and short message transmission as in a phone mode, it is inconvenient in a TV mode, a DMB mode, and a VOD mode for watching a moving picture because users must keep their eyes on a display unit of the portable terminal for a long time.
Therefore, there is a need for a portable terminal having a display unit that is positioned in various directions or at various angles as desired by a user, thereby allowing the user to conveniently view a displayed screen.